National champion
Abbie Wood In The Spotlight

After winning two golds and a silver at the 2013 European Youth Olympic Festival, Derventio's Abbie Wood has continued her progress in 2014, reaching the 200m Breaststroke final on her European Junior Championship debut in Dordrecht.

She then returned home to land the 200m and 400m IM double as well as 200m Breast silver in the 15/16 Yrs Age Group at the ASA National Youth Championships in Sheffield.

What are your main aims for the coming season?

To hopefully compete a second year at European Juniors and any other international events that come to light will be a bonus as I really enjoy competing abroad and against new people.

Did it encourage you to see former Derventio swimmer Molly Renshaw winning medals at the Commonwealth Games and European Championships this year?

When at DX, Molly and I trained together frequently and I think her success has spurred me and the whole club on to setting greater targets.

How nice is it to be named on British Swimming's podium potential funding list for this season?

I am so pleased to be named on the list again with many other successful swimmers it’s a huge boost!

How do you find fitting swimming in around studying?

At school I am now studying my GCSE’s. I do find it a struggle balancing swimming and school but thankfully it isn’t impossible.

What hours do you train during a typical week?

In a typical week I do 18 hours of swimming, four hours in the gym and a lot of travelling has to be done as I have to travel an hour to and from training three times a week!

What do you like to do away from the pool to relax?

Relaxing time is limited but outside of swimming and school I mainly catch up with friends and enjoy watching TV series on Netflix!

What do you eat in a typical day and do you receive advice on nutrition from your club?

I am currently starting to manage my nutrition more with my support from the Derbyshire Institute of Sport. Protein and carbohydrates make up the majority of my diet.

Who has helped you get where you are today?

All my previous coaches Gary McCaffrey, Diane Lee, Michael Glossop and Kim Hill have all played a part in getting me where I am today along with my current coach Andi Manley.

Who have been your biggest heroes and inspirations in the sport over the past few years?

I haven’t got any particular heroes but watching Molly’s progression at close hand has shown me what I could achieve.

If you could pick any former or current swimmer to train and compete alongside, who would you choose and why?

Training daily with all the girls from the British team at European Juniors would be amazing.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard!

What is your top tip for young swimmers?

Skills are everything in swimming. Work hard on starts turns and technique and everything else will follow.